Winter in Storybrooke
by oldmcpiper
Summary: Emma's first winter in Storybrooke. This is set pre-finale so Emma and MM are still just best friends/roommates with a lovely hint of a mother/daughter dynamic.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas, but please know that this fic does not focus on the religious aspects of the holiday, but rather on the idea of spending special time with a loved one. Also, I know Christmas is months away, but this got stuck in my head and I needed to write it now.**

Emma awoke to the sounds of boxes being dragged across the downstairs floor. She slowly sat up, blinking as her eyes tried to adjust to the brightness in the room, and couldn't help but smile when she saw a thick coat of snow on the ground outside her window. As usual, it was cold in the drafty apartment, and she was tempted to burrow back under her warm blankets, but the noises from below piqued her curiosity. Grudgingly, she got out of bed, wincing as her feet hit the cold floor, and trudged downstairs. She paused on the last step, startled by the sight of her roommate surrounded by boxes, all of which were overflowing with decorations, lights, and pieces of a fake Christmas tree.

She groaned inwardly. She should've guessed Mary Margaret would be one of those people who went overboard celebrating Christmas. Emma hated the holidays. She had always viewed the holiday season as just one more reminder of all the things she was missing out on by not having a real family. Growing up, she'd always felt a pang of jealousy listening to the kids at school discuss their holiday plans – most of which centered around family – and she couldn't help but feel envious watching her classmates compare Christmas gifts, when she was lucky if she even received one present from her foster parents.

Catching sight of her roommate, Mary smiled. "Sorry if I woke you, but I'm way behind schedule on decorating. I can't believe Christmas is only four days away; it snuck up on me this year! There's breakfast on the stove if you're hungry."

Emma grabbed a piece of bacon before crossing the room to sit on the couch. She watched warily as Mary began extracting the pieces of the Christmas tree from one of the boxes.

"I know a real tree is prettier, but this is simpler, and more environmentally friendly, I suppose," Mary stated conversationally. Emma merely grunted in return, but Mary continued chattering, completely oblivious to her roommate's discomfort. "I was thinking I'd finish putting the tree together, since that's really no fun, and then you and I could decorate the house. I think we should save the tree for last; I don't know why, but tree decorating just seems like it should be done at night, don't you think?" She turned to the blonde, a look of child-like enthusiasm on her face.

"Oh, um, Mare, I – well I don't really _do_ Christmas. I'm just not the holiday type." She didn't want to get into the reasons why, and she hoped the woman wouldn't pry.

"Oh, ok. Of course. I didn't even stop to consider – it's no big deal." Emma felt terrible as she watched the smile fade from Mary's face.

"But you should feel free to decorate if you'd like." The older woman nodded, and resumed the task of constructing the tree, but Emma noticed that much of her gusto was gone. She sighed inwardly; she could tell this was important to her friend, and, after all, Mary had been kind enough to bail her out of jail, share her home, and treat her with a kindness that few others had in her life. It was the least she could do to return the favor.

"Maybe," she began tentatively, "maybe I just haven't given it a proper chance. I mean, this has been a year full of changes for me, I might as well add another new experience."

Mary clapped her hands together, her excitement returning. She jumped up and turned on the radio, quickly finding a station that was broadcasting Christmas carols.

Emma busied herself sorting out the decorations, impressed by the amount of Christmas paraphernalia the woman had amassed over the years. As if reading her thoughts, Mary explained, "The majority of those are gifts from my students; being a teacher, I end up with lots of little knick-knacks each year." She had finished constructing the tree, and the two women moved around the house, setting out various holiday figurines, hanging a wreath on the door, and replacing the normal "Welcome" mat with one that read "Season's Greetings."

It was late afternoon by the time all the decorations had been distributed, so Mary made a simple lunch of sandwiches. As Emma stood to take her empty plate to the sink, she announced that she should probably stop by the station, just to make sure everything was alright. Mary nodded understandingly, saying she could use a shower and a nap anyway. Emma quickly got dressed – having spent the morning in her pajamas – and raced out the door.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the station. Everywhere she'd looked on the drive there she'd seen flashes of red and green, and shoppers bustling about, arms full of packages. If she was honest with herself, she'd actually enjoyed the morning spent decorating – a Christmas first for her – but she was feeling just a tad overwhelmed. It was nice to come to the station, where there was no hint of holiday cheer. She remained at the quiet station well into the evening, before deciding that she had better return home.

The sound of Christmas music and the scent of freshly baked cookies wafted out of the front door as she approached the apartment. As she stepped through the doorway, she pasted on a smile for Mary's sake. The brunette was just lifting a tray of fragrant gingerbread cookies from the oven, and she was clearly pleased to see that Emma had returned.

"Perfect timing!" She declared. "I just finished the cookies – I hope you like gingerbread; they're kind of a tradition with me – and it's finally dark enough to start decorating the tree!"

Emma found the fake smile she'd pasted on outside the apartment quickly growing into a genuine grin as she allowed Mary's infectious enthusiasm to overtake her. She followed her friend to the tree and began to help her unload bundles of lights, long strands of tinsel, and boxes of delicate glass ornaments.

The two decorated in silence, the only sounds being the carols issuing from the radio. Emma was hesitant at first, unsure of how to properly trim a tree, having never done so before, but soon found herself enjoying the experience. Decorating the house had been pleasant, but dressing the tree felt almost magical – like a rite of passage she'd always missed out on.

Eventually, Mary excused herself to go to the bathroom, leaving Emma alone with the decorations. She briefly considered waiting for the other woman to return, but found that she did not want to stop. In spite of herself, she was caught up in the moment, and even began to sing along with the Christmas carol on the radio.

"I didn't know you could sing." Emma jumped, dropping the piece of tinsel she'd been holding. She'd been so absorbed in the task at hand that she hadn't heard the sound of her roommate's footsteps returning.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to frighten you. You have a lovely voice."

"Thanks," Emma mumbled, flushing because of the woman's praise and the embarrassment at being caught unaware.

Mary, who had resumed her tree decorating duties, continued to probe, "I thought you didn't like Christmas?"

"Well even if you don't celebrate the holiday, it's hard to avoid hearing the songs when they're constantly played in every store and on every radio station around this time of year. You memorize the words without even meaning to."

Her friend nodded in agreement and began to sing along as well. Emma's eyes widened. She knew her own voice was decent, but Mary's clear, melodic voice sounded like something out of – well, a Disney movie. She had intended to keep quiet and merely listen to the other woman, but she was unable to resist joining in, and soon found herself attempting to harmonize with Mary. She still felt a bit self-conscious, but she had to admit that they sounded pretty good together.

"Perhaps the two of us could go caroling around the neighborhood tomorrow night," Mary suggested. Emma froze, eyes wide, mouth half open. She'd been trying very hard to get into the Christmas spirit for her roommate's sake, but this was asking too much of her!

Mary burst out laughing. "It's a joke, Emma! You should see your face!" A wave of relief washed over Emma. She lightly swatted Mary's arm, trying to look offended, but found herself laughing as well.

Finally, when the last ball had been hung and the last strand of tinsel had been threaded through the branches, both women stepped back, tired, but pleased.

"Are you ready to light it?" Mary asked. Emma nodded, and crossed to the light switch, her hand poised to turn off the room lights at the exact moment that Mary plugged in the tree lights. "On the count of three: one, two, three!" Both women murmured in delight at the effect.

Emma got goose-bumps as she looked around the room at the results of their hard work; she had to admit that the place looked beautiful. She moved to sit on the couch, which afforded the perfect view of the tree, and was joined a few minutes later by Mary, who came bearing two steaming mugs of hot chocolate (with cinnamon, of course). The pair sat in silence, both lost in thought, the glow of the twinkling tree lights falling on their faces.

**Reviews are welcome – tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what you had for breakfast :) – whatever you want to share, I want to hear from you! Also, I have a pretty good idea of where I want this story to go, but I'd love to hear any suggestions you might have!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter! I did my best to include a little bit of Henry in this chapter for those who requested that. As for David, I don't think he will make an appearance in this story. I really strive to make my stories feel real, and I don't feel like I'm connected enough to the character of David to write him convincingly (if that makes any sense). Sorry!**

The next day Emma returned home from work around 5. As she stood in the doorway to remove her boots, a flash of bright red caught her eye from across the room. Walking closer, she was surprised to see a small mound of gifts had accumulated under the tree in her absence; Mary had certainly been busy today! Curiously, she knelt on the floor and glanced over the nametags, smiling as she noticed that the top three were addressed to Henry. She sifted through the remaining gifts in the pile, noting that Mary appeared to have bought something for almost everyone in Storybrooke.

Just as she was about to stand back up, she spotted a small box near the bottom of the pile, and gasped as she realized it had her name on it. Deep down, she'd known that Mary would insist on getting her something, but actually seeing the gift under the tree was another story. She smiled, touched by the thought that, for once in her life, she had someone who cared enough about her to buy her a Christmas present. Almost immediately, however, her smile was replaced by a feeling of alarm. If Mary had gotten her a gift, it meant that she was going to have to get Mary something in return, but she couldn't even begin to imagine what her friend might like.

Suddenly a thought struck her – if she knew what Mary had gotten _her_, she might have a better idea of what she should buy. She knew peeking at one's presents was childish, but she was desperate, and, to be honest, curious. Glancing around to make sure she was alone, she gently shook the gift. As she'd expected, shaking the box had given her no real insight as to what it contained, but it seemed like they always did that in movies. Slowly, she began to work her fingernail under the edge of the wrapping paper. Mary was skilled at gift wrapping (why did that not surprise her?), and Emma knew that if she wasn't careful, she'd never be able to convincingly rewrap the gift.

"Emma! What do you think you're doing?" Emma turned, startled, instinctively hiding the box behind her back and looking up with a guilty expression.

"N – Nothing. I was just…" she trailed off, unable to come up with a lie, and knowing that Mary would see right through anything that she came up with.

Mary stood at the foot of the stairs, hands on her hips, eyebrows raised, and a look of disappointment on her face. Secretly, she was amused to have caught her roommate in such a juvenile act, but she was not about to let the woman off easily.

Guiltily, Emma slid the box back under the tree and stood up. "Sorry," she mumbled unable to look the brunette in the eye, "I panicked when I saw that you'd gotten me a gift, and I thought that maybe if I saw what you'd gotten me, I'd be inspired as to what to get you."

"Oh, Emma," Mary sighed, crossing the room to stand next to the younger woman, "that's not the way it works. I got you a gift because you're my friend and I care about you, not because I expected to receive something in return."

"I know," Emma shrugged, "but – "

"No 'but's' about it," Mary said decisively, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Gift giving is a choice, not an obligation." She waited for Emma to nod in assent before continuing, her tone light, "Now, can I trust you to control yourself, or do I need to hide your present somewhere until Christmas?" Emma flushed at her roommate's teasing, and rolled her eyes.

The sound of someone knocking caused them both to turn toward the door, and, moments later, Henry let himself in.

"Hey Emma. Hi Miss Blanchard. I'm ready to decorate cookies!" He declared.

"Hey kid," Emma said, unsure what he was referring to.

Mary quickly jumped in to explain, "I invited Henry to come over and decorate the gingerbread cookies I made last night. Everyone knows you have to leave cookies and milk out for Santa!" She winked at Emma behind Henry's back, and headed into the kitchen.

Emma and Henry each took a seat at the table and watched as Mary set out the tray of cookies, as well as several icing pipers and an array of sprinkles, jelly beans, and various other candies. They each took up an icing bag and began to work in silence.

About 30 minutes later, Emma finally finished her cookie and looked up to check on the others' progress, surprised to see that both had completed two cookies in the time it had taken her to do one. Henry's first cookie appeared to be a boy with shaggy brown hair, and the other, she was touched to see, had been decorated to look like a blonde woman wearing a red leather jacket and black boots. Mary, using the expert touch of a skilled baker, had designed her pair to look like a prince and princess, complete with jewels made out of sprinkles in their crowns. Emma looked back down at her own cookie, slightly embarrassed. She'd been attempting to make a Santa cookie, but had instead created a rather creepy looking red blob, and in the process, she'd managed to get red icing not only all over the table, but all over her hands as well.

"Made a bit of a mess, huh?" Mary asked, smiling as she noticed Emma attempting to wipe the sticky substance off her hands. It amused her to see her normally put-together roommate look so much like a frustrated child.

"Yeah," Emma admitted sulkily, irritated that her attempts to clean herself only seemed to be making the situation worse. Mary walked around to Emma's side of the table. She leaned over, pretending to examine her roommate's cookie, and bit back as smile as she squeezed a thick line of blue icing on the woman's already sticky hands.

"Oh, Emma, I'm so sorry!" She tried her best to look remorseful, but her inability to suppress her laughter quickly made it clear that the "spill" had been no accident.

"You so did that on purpose!" Emma exclaimed. "I _will _get you back!" she declared, reaching out to grab her own bag of frosting.

"Now Emma, dear, let's be mature," Mary said teasingly as she quickly crossed the room, both to avoid her roommate's retaliation, and to fetch the messy woman a wet towel. Emma accepted the towel, but not before sticking her tongue out at Mary like a petulant child. Mary noticed that Emma had gotten a small patch of icing on her cheek as well, and she fought the strange urge to lick her thumb and wipe her roommate's cheek clean. Instead, she gestured to the blonde, who quickly scrubbed away the offending frosting. Henry merely watched the two "adults," laughing at their immature behavior.

The trio decided that they should leave both of Henry's cookies, as well as Mary's princess cookie, out for Santa. Mary placed her prince cookie and the two remaining undecorated cookies in a plastic container for Henry to take home and eat later. The Santa "blob" was deemed inedible, and even Emma had to laugh along with the others as she dumped it in the trash.

That night, as she showered, Emma kept discovering little patches of icing. She was amazed at how the stuff had managed to get deposited in her hair, under her nails, and even on one of her arms, even though she'd been wearing long sleeves! Despite the mess, she had to smile. Henry had clearly enjoyed himself, and, in truth, so had she. While she still wasn't sure how she felt about Christmas, she looked forward to more cookie-decorating with Henry and Mary in the years to come.

**Ok, well that's all for the second chapter. If you enjoy the Emma/MM relationship and are looking for something to read while you wait for the next chapter, allow me to recommend my other OUAT fic, "Grounded!" (I know the cool kids probably don't promote their own work, but I've never been cool). **


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: This chapter contains one mild curse word.**

Mary and Henry stood at the kitchen counter the next morning, talking animatedly, both so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice when Emma entered the room, trying to rub the last bit of sleep out of her eyes. Emma cleared her throat to get their attention, and they both turned to face her, wearing matching grins.

"Good morning, Emma," Mary said cheerfully, "Henry here has a proposition for us."

"My friend, Tommy, went to the pond yesterday, and he said it was perfect for skating," Henry explained, gesturing to a pair of ice skates that Emma hadn't noticed sitting by the door, "I was hoping the three of us could go today!"

"Henry's already persuaded me," Mary laughed, "Although I really didn't take much convincing. I've always loved skating; I just haven't had a chance to go yet this year. What do you think, Emma?"

"I think you two should go have fun." Noting the look of disappointment forming on their faces, she quickly added, "It's just…I've never actually been skating, so I don't really know how."

"I'll teach you," Mary offered, "I even have an old pair of skates that should fit you." Emma was torn – on the one hand, she hated to miss spending time with Henry, but on the other, she really had no desire to make a fool of herself on the ice, which she was certain would happen.

"Pleeeease, Emma?" Henry begged, "Consider it an early Christmas present for me!"

"Oh, me too," Mary chimed in. "I know you were looking for something to get me." She bent down to place her head next to Henry's and they both stared up at her with a puppy-dog expression on their faces.

Emma threw up her hands in defeat; how was she supposed to say no to that? "Fine."

"Yes!" Henry yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

"Well, in that case Henry, I think now would be the perfect time to give you an early Christmas present of my own," Mary said, crossing to the tree and returning with one of the gifts addressed to the boy. He eagerly ripped away the paper, letting the pieces fall to the floor, and grinned as he held up a small disposable camera.

"Thanks, Miss Blanchard! This will be perfect for today!"

Emma smiled to herself. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen someone use a disposable camera instead of a digital one, but somehow it just felt right that Storybrooke was still a little behind the times. She went upstairs to change clothes, and returned to find Henry impatiently pacing the floor, and Mary holding up the pair of extra skates, as promised.

When they arrived at the pond, they piled out of Mary's car and sat down to lace up their skates. Henry and Mary quickly completed the task, having had years of practice, but Emma, whose fingers were numb with cold, found the task slow and arduous.

Henry spotted a group of his classmates, and with a quick wave to his mother, skated over to join them, hoping to put his new camera to use.

Mary stepped gracefully onto the ice and skated in a small, smooth ring, circling back around to wait on her roommate. She stifled as giggle as Emma scooted toward the edge of the pond, eyeing the ice warily, and timidly stepped out onto the frozen surface, moving like a young deer struggling to take its first steps. Slowly, so as not to accidentally startle the woman, Mary skated over and placed a steadying hand on the blonde's arm. Emma stiffened automatically in response to the unexpected contact, causing Mary to drop her hand back down to her side. Both women stared at one another awkwardly for a moment, before Mary eventually turned and began to skate away, gesturing for her friend to do the same. Emma tried to follow, but within seconds she found herself crashing down to the ice, her full weight landing on her arm as she tried to catch herself.

"Damn!" Emma yelled, wincing at the pain in her elbow.

"Emma," Mary chided, frowning, "there are children around." She skated back to the scowling woman and held out a hand.

Emma considered ignoring Mary's outstretched hand – she was embarrassed by her fall and hated to appear weak – but she was worried she would be unable to get up without assistance, so she grudgingly allowed the older woman to pull her gently to her feet. Mary hovered near her, as if checking for injury, until an annoyed Emma announced that she was fine.

They resumed their trip around the pond, but, almost immediately, Emma once again lost her center of gravity and found her arms flailing. Just as she'd resigned herself to another bruised elbow, she felt Mary's surprisingly strong grip on her arms, propelling her forward and up, thus allowing her to steady herself. This time, Mary released her only momentarily, before gently looping her arm through Emma's. She knew the blonde was uncomfortable with physical contact, but she was also concerned for her safety, and hoped the arrangement would prevent future accidents. To her surprise and delight, Emma did not pull away, and instead flashed Mary a hesitant, but grateful smile.

Slowly, but surely, the women circled the pond – Emma in awkward, halting spurts, and Mary with graceful, patient strides. Each time Emma felt herself beginning to lose her balance, she would tighten her grip on Mary's arm, allowing the older woman to steady her. Finally, she began to get the hang of things – not enough to let go of Mary, but enough that she could begin to enjoy the experience without the constant fear of falling on her face.

The pair had been skating in amicable silence for most of the morning, so Mary jumped slightly when Emma suddenly spoke.

"Hey, Mare? I just wanted to say, um, thanks."

"Don't mention it; learning to skate can be difficult, so I'm happy to lend a hand – or in this case, an arm," the brunette joked.

"Well, I'm grateful for that too, I guess, but I meant thanks for doing all this. I know I haven't exactly been enthusiastic, but I appreciate you doing your best to get me into the Christmas spirit."

Mary opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Henry skating to a stop just in front of them.

"Say cheese!" he yelled, pointing his new camera in their direction. Both women smiled, their arms still linked, and Mary leaned her head in so that it was mere inches from Emma's own.

The bright flash of the camera was like a light bulb turning on in Emma's mind. Suddenly, she knew exactly what to get Mary for Christmas.

**In the interest of full disclosure, I'm from Texas. I've never set foot on an ice rink and I don't know the first thing about ice skating, so forgive me if this is not an accurate depiction of someone's first attempt. The next chapter will most likely be the last. Thanks to all who have reviewed so far! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Final chapter! In case it's a little unclear from the story, this chapter is set two days after the last one.**

Emma rolled over and checked the clock again. She sighed when she saw that it was only 6 am. She'd been awake since 5, tossing and turning, checking the clock every five minutes in the hopes that time would somehow move faster. Emma had never been an early riser, but she had this feeling in the pit of her stomach – excitement perhaps? – that was preventing her from drifting back to sleep. Frustrated, she threw back the covers and headed downstairs. She sat on the couch, wrapping herself in a warm blanket, and reflected on how quickly Christmas Day had arrived.

Yesterday had flown by in a blur. Knowing that Regina would not let Henry leave the house on Christmas Day, he had stopped by yesterday morning to exchange gifts; she smiled as she touched the bracelet around her wrist and thought of the homemade card that was now propped up on her bedside table. Despite still being a bit sore from her fall at the pond the day before, the afternoon had been spent walking around town, helping her roommate pass out the presents she'd bought for the townspeople. Mary had been kind enough to add Emma's name to the gifts, but she was certain most people knew that she'd had no part in choosing them. She'd then worked well into the evening putting the finishing touches on her gift for Mary. The women had decided to wait and trade presents on Christmas morning, and she was both excited and nervous as she eyed the two boxes remaining under the tree.

Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore, and she crept into Mary's room, where the brunette slumbered peacefully. "Mary," she whispered, "Hey Mare, wake up." The older woman stirred slightly, but did not wake. Carefully, Emma sat down on the edge of the bed and gently nudged her friend's shoulder.

"Emma?" Mary asked, rubbing her eyes. "Is everything ok?"

"Oh, um, yeah," suddenly Emma was very aware of how early it was. Well, too late now – Mary was already awake. "I just…um, Merry Christmas."

Mary laughed as she sat up, shaking off the last bit of sleep. "Merry Christmas to you too, Emma." She leaned forward and embraced Emma in a light, but enthusiastic hug. "How about some breakfast?"

Emma sat at the kitchen counter, watching as Mary stirred the pancake batter, but she couldn't help occasionally throwing a longing glance at the tree and the two presents resting beneath it.

Mary noticed Emma's preoccupation, and smiled inwardly at her eagerness. She cleared her throat. "You know, I've never been the patient type when it comes to opening presents. Would you mind if we opened them now and then made breakfast afterwards?" It was a small lie, but she didn't want her roommate to feel embarrassed that she'd been caught staring at the presents like an impatient child.

Despite the surge of delight that Emma felt at this suggestion, she did her best to keep her expression neutral. "Sure," she shrugged nonchalantly, "doesn't matter to me." Her attempt at a calm demeanor was betrayed, however, by the fact that she practically raced to sit at the foot of the tree. She was quickly joined by Mary, who scooped up the gift addressed to Emma and held it out to her. "Here, you go first."

Normally, Emma would've objected, but her excitement got the best of her. She snatched the box from Mary's hands, once again shaking it as she had three nights ago. Unlike before, however, she took no care with the wrapping paper, quickly ripping it away to reveal a plain, cardboard box within. Wasting no time, she opened the lid of the box and gasped as she saw what it contained. Gently, she lifted out a delicate frame which held a picture of her and Henry that Mary had taken a few weeks ago. The word "Family" was embossed across the bottom in an elegant, swirling font. She was thankful Mary had nestled the frame within in a bed of tissue paper, so shaking the box had caused no damage. Her fingers brushed across a small button on the back of the frame, and when she pushed it, the sound of Henry's voice filled the room, "Merry Christmas, Mom!" Emma could feel tears welling in her eyes, so she mumbled a quick thanks and grabbed the remaining present from under the tree, shoving it into her roommate's hands.

Mary averted her eyes, pretending not to notice as the younger woman hurriedly wiped the stray tears from her cheek. She suppressed a smile as she surveyed Emma's untidy attempt at wrapping, and began to slowly peel away the paper in neat, precise strips. Inside was a shoe box, and, for a moment, Mary feared her friend had taken it upon herself to makeover her sense of style. The mental image of her wearing a pair of the knee-high, black leather boots the blonde favored almost made her laugh aloud, but she managed to swallow the laughter for fear of hurting Emma's feelings.

Much to her relief, the box contained not a pair of boots, but a cream-colored photo album, beautifully adorned with a picture of a bluebird – Mary's favorite. She removed the album and was surprised to find that over half the pages had already been filled with photos. The first picture was the one that Henry had taken of her and Emma ice skating, both grinning broadly, their cheeks pink with cold and excitement. The rest consisted of her with various residents of Storybrooke – she and Ruby posing inside Granny's diner, a group photo of her with her students, even a picture she'd taken with Leroy after they'd triumphantly sold their last Miner's Day candle.

"I went around town asking people for any pictures they had with you that they'd be willing to share," Emma explained tentatively. Although she'd already seen each of the photos, she scooted closer, looking over Mary's shoulder as she silently flipped through the album. The longer Mary remained quiet, the more nervous Emma grew. She'd never really shopped for Christmas gifts – aside from shopping for Henry, but 10-year-old boys were fairly easy to please – and she was worried that Mary did not like what she had chosen.

"Oh, Emma," Mary sighed, her voice thick with emotion, "this is beautiful. Thank you so much." Emma let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, relieved by Mary's reaction.

"I'm going to hug you now," Mary declared, hoping the warning would make her roommate more accepting of the coming embrace. She scooted over to close the small gap between the two women and wrapped both arms tightly around the blonde.

Emma, amused by Mary's announcement and eager to show her friend that she was grateful for her own gift as well, not only accepted the hug she normally would've been quick to reject, but actually found herself returning the embrace. The two women sat entwined for a few moments, before a sudden burst of laughter escaped Emma's throat. Mary pulled back, her brows furrowed, "Emma?"

"Sorry," Emma grinned, "I just realized how similar our gifts are. I guess I didn't need to peek at my present after all to find the perfect thing for you!"

The brunette smiled as she acknowledged the similarity. "They say great minds think alike!" Growing serious again, she reached out and cupped Emma's chin in her hand, forcing the younger woman to meet her eye. "Thank you Emma. I know Christmas is not your favorite holiday, but I appreciate all you've done to make this one truly special for me. I know we're not a family in the traditional sense, but spending this time with someone I care about has meant more to me than you could ever know." Emma merely smiled in return, afraid the lump in her throat would cause her voice to quiver if she tried to speak.

Mary picked up the album and began to peruse the photos again, more slowly than before, taking the time to examine each picture. Much to her surprise, Emma placed her head against Mary's shoulder, hesitantly at first, before nestling her blonde curls more snugly against the woman. Gently, so as not to discourage this sudden display of affection, Mary shifted so that her arm was lightly encircling the younger woman's back. Emma watched contentedly as Mary turned the album's pages, occasionally pausing to share a funny or interesting story about a particular photo.

This had been an unforgettable Christmas for both women.

**Ok guys, that's it! Thanks so much to everyone who left me reviews along the way (and thanks in advance to those who will hopefully leave reviews in the future). As you can probably tell, I'm obsessed with the MM/Emma relationship, so if you have any ideas/requests for a story about the pair, feel free to PM me!**


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